Myrtle Beach — United States of America
Oil power plant in South Carolina, United States of America. Approximate location 33.7083, -78.9241.
OilSouth CarolinaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled
Myrtle Beach is a 111.5 MW oil power station in South Carolina, United States of America. It is operated by South Carolina Public Service Authority. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 84k homes (estimated). It ranks #2604 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1969, it is around 57 years old — an older, legacy facility. Its modelled annual emissions are 73,233 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 17k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 0.7% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0003320.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 111.5 MW, Myrtle Beach is well above the median oil plant in United States of America (7.2 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
~73,233 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Generation trend
- 1 GWh in 2014 and 1 GWh in 2018 (−30%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2014: 1 GWh; 2015: 0 GWh
- Share of United States of America oil capacity
- 0.3% of 40,022 MW across 902 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 88 of 877 dated oil plants in United States of America are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by South Carolina Public Service Authority. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 33.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 11% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 46/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #61 largest oil power plant of 902 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 902 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 40,022 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Bell Bay Solar Farm · Solar · 1.6 MW · South Carolina
- Runway Solar Farm · Solar · 2 MW · South Carolina
- Horry Land Fill Gas Site · Waste · 3.1 MW · South Carolina
- Grainger Generating Station · Coal · 170 MW · South Carolina
- Georgetown LFGTE · Waste · 1.1 MW · South Carolina
- Cherry Blossom Solar LLC · Solar · 10 MW · South Carolina
Location
Coordinates 33.7083, -78.9241 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach is a 111.5 MW oil power plant in South Carolina, United States of America, commissioned in 1969.
Who operates Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach is operated by South Carolina Public Service Authority.
How much CO₂ does Myrtle Beach emit?
Myrtle Beach has modelled emissions of about 73,233 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).